The Government of India has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day to celebrate and preserve the country’s rich heritage of artistry and craftsmanship. This day was chosen as a tribute to the Swadeshi Movement, which promoted indigenous industries and handloom weavers. The first celebration of National Handloom Day took place in 2015.
The Handlooms and Textile Industry is the second-largest employer after agriculture. In Telangana State, there is a vibrant handloom sector with six geographical indication registrations. There are approximately 21,750 active handlooms in the state, employing nearly 50,000 weavers and ancillary workers.
The power loom sector is mainly concentrated in Sircilla, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Nalgonda districts, with a total of 43,162 power looms in the state. The Bathukamma saree scheme has boosted the production of low-value grey cloth in the power loom sector and has improved the income and skills of power loom workers.
Over the past decade, the Telangana government has implemented flagship programs for the development and welfare of handloom artisans. They have also conducted a Handloom Census to accurately determine the number of active handlooms in the state. Telangana is recognized for its high banking and insurance penetration among the weaver community.
To support the growth of the textile sector, the state government is establishing the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal and the Weaving and Apparel Park in Sircilla. These parks aim to attract investments from national and international companies and complete the textile value chain from ginning to garmenting.
The Kakatiya Mega Textile Park is the largest textile park in India, covering an area of 1200 acres. It focuses on the development strategy of ‘Farm to Fiber, Fiber to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign’. The apparel park in Sircilla aims to diversify the skill base of women engaged in Beedi rolling activity by providing alternative livelihoods in garmenting.
